Root Stocks

Apple rootstocks can have a variety of desirable characteristics. It is mainly the rootstock which decides the performance (growth, life time, yield) of the tree.

There are three main types of rootstocks used for apple trees: Standard (Full-size), Semi-dwarf, and Dwarf.

Blekinge Fruktträd Plantskola offers apple trees grafted on these different rootstocks:

Antonovka (100%, strong growing, vigorous)
This is the nurserys most used and recommended rootstocks, in particular for the higher growing zones.
The apples trees grafted on Antonovka are strong growing and live very long.

Antonovka is a 500 year old Russian apple group. It is a very cold hardy rootstock, with a tough, carrot like rooting
system. Compared with dwarfing stocks, Antonovka is drought resistent. The rootstock produces nearly
full sized trees.

MM106 (75% of seedling, semi-vigirous growing)
This is probably the most versatile rootstock for growing specimen apple trees in Europe, producing a tree
of 3m-5m in height and spread - often known as a "half-standard". It is also the best choice for producing
large trained forms such as espaliers. Staking is useful after planting (more so if growing in an exposed
situation, less so in a garden situation), but the tree will become free-standing within a few years and the
stake can be removed.

Blekinge Fruktträdplantskola offers special cider trees grafted on this rootstock.

(Picture 1: Apple variety Tremletts Bitter grafted onto MM106 root stock)

P60 (50% of seedling, weak growing)
Trees on this rootstock are productive. P60 is a cross of Swedish A2 and Russian B9 with red wood and
red leaves - in fact its very ornamental in its own right. P60 is used extensively by gardeners in Sweden.
P60 trees are very suitable for trellis growing and need extensive watering druing (hot) summers.

Blekinge Fruktträdplantskola offers many different apple varieties on P60, everything from early to late ripe apples. .

(Picture 2: Apple variety Aroma grafted onto P60 root stock)

 

Cherries, plums and pears from Blekinge Frukträd Plantskola are grafted onto wild, strongly growing rootstocks with similar characteristics to Antonovka.

 

 

 

Please contact the nursery if you have any questions under blekingefrukttradplantskola@gmail.com